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Staying ahead of the curve prevents a leader from being overwhelmed when pressure is applied and enables greater decisiveness.

Jocko Willink

When it comes to standards, as a leader, it’s not what you preach, it’s what you tolerate. When setting expectations, no matter what has been said or written, if substandard performance is accepted and no one is held accountable.
JOCKO WILLINK

Acceptance Expectation Leadership Tolerance
Repetitive exceptional performance became a habit.
JOCKO WILLINK

Performance
We learned that leadership requires belief in the mission and unyielding perseverance to achieve victory, particularly when doubters question whether victory is even possible.
JOCKO WILLINK

Achievement Belief Leadership Learning Perseverance Possible Victory
The U.S. Navy SEAL Teams were at the forefront of this leadership transformation, emerging from the triumphs and tragedies of war with a crystallized understanding of what it takes to succeed in the most challenging environments that combat presents.
JOCKO WILLINK

Challenge Leadership Present Success Team Tragedy Transformation Understand War Win
It’s not what you preach, it’s what you tolerate.
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Deep Tolerance Yourself
Remember: the enemy gets a vote.
JOCKO WILLINK

Democracy Enemy Remember
The most fundamental and important truths at the heart of Extreme Ownership: there are no bad teams, only bad leaders.
JOCKO WILLINK

Bad Fundamental Heart Important Leadership Team Truth
There are no bad units, only bad officers. This captures the essence of what Extreme Ownership is all about.
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Bad Control Politics
Departments and groups within the team must break down silos, depend on each other and understand who depends on them.
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Break Independent Team Understand
But we can’t ever think we are too good to fail or that our enemies are not capable, deadly, and eager to exploit our weaknesses. We must never get complacent. This is where controlling the ego is most important.
JOCKO WILLINK

Control Enemy Failure Goodness Important Thinking
A good leader does not get bogged down in the minutia of a tactical problem at the expense of strategic success.
JOCKO WILLINK

Goodness Leadership Problem Success
If the plan is simple enough, everyone understands it, which means each person can rapidly adjust and modify what he or she is doing. If the plan is too complex, the team can’t make rapid adjustments to it, because there is no baseline understanding of it.
JOCKO WILLINK

Planning Simplicity Team Understand
In the business world, and in life, there are inherent complexities. It is critical to keep plans and communication simple.
JOCKO WILLINK

Business Life Simplicity World
Once people stop making excuses, stop blaming others, and take ownership of everything in their lives, they are compelled to take action to solve their problems.
JOCKO WILLINK

Action Blame Live People Problem
In order to convince and inspire others to follow and accomplish a mission, a leader must be a true believer in the mission.
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Accomplishment Believe Inspirational Leadership True
After all, there can be no leadership where there is no team.
JOCKO WILLINK

Leadership Team

Staying ahead of the curve prevents a leader from being overwhelmed when pressure is applied and enables greater decisiveness.

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Staying ahead of the curve prevents a leader from being overwhelmed when pressure is applied and enables greater decisiveness.

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